How to make an open-plan office concept more productive?

open plan office concept

Modern organizations are always open to new styles and approaches to improve their productivity. One of the latest trends that have been picking up rapidly in the world of corporate is open office architecture.

Open-plan offices don’t only give more space to play around with, but also, it will allow a lot of air and light to come in freely. Also, don’t forget your mood is as good as the surroundings. No matter how much money you invest in modular office furniture, if you work in a congested space, you might end up feeling suffocated and couped up. An open office will create an openness in your mind and will let your thoughts and creative juices flow.

Let us take a deep dive into the advantages of the open-plan offices:

For a Healthier Lifestyle:

One of the most important benefits of having an open-plan office is it helps employees stay physically and mentally agile and positive. According to a study done by Occupational & Environmental Medicine, an open bench setup can have a positive impact on the physical health of the staff. In the said study, 231 participants took part with the experience of working in an open setting, cubicle, and private office.

This study has found out that employees working in the open setup are 32% more active than that of employees working in private offices. Additionally, open-plan office employees are 20% more physically fit than cubicle employees.

Get the creative juices flowing:

When the nature of work is highly interactive and heavily dependent on teamwork, open-plan office set up gives an opportunity to communicate freely. Just imagine, if your job needs regular brainstorming sessions, wouldn’t it be easy to huddle up in your office and get started with a discussion rather than doing it formally in a private meeting room.

Hence, especially creative teams like content marketers, graphic designers, media houses, etc., can benefit a lot from the open-plan set of offices.

Alleviates the company culture

Apart from the physical appeal and space advantages, an open-office also gives an implied message to your employees. An open-plan setup says it loud and clear that you treat all your employees equally, and they possess equal rights in your space. By putting everyone on equal level ground, you would be minimizing the parity and differences between employees of different departments and designations.

An open office encourages your employees to communicate more. Hence your organization would see more instances of collaborative innovation, teamwork, and synergy. This is not a tall claim pulled out of thin air; a few studies have also proven that an open office can foster better teamwork and help you build a collaborative culture in the office.

Best practices on how to make open offices more productive:

Open offices are great, but there are not free from areas of improvement. They do have their challenges, and by incorporating a few changes in your open-plan office, you make it more productive-friendly. Here are a few best practices to make your open workspace productive:

You would still need private areas:

Open spaces foster interactions, but these can sometimes be causing disturbance to a few employees and hinder their focus. To give employees space and privacy to do important tasks, it is always recommended to create a private space in your office.

Prioritize acoustics:

Apart from only concentrating on making your office visually appealing, it also vital to plan the sound in the office. An open office can get noisy. Hence, it is crucial to focus on the soundscapes and design a quiet place with soundproof walls and doors to create a different atmosphere than the rest of the office.

Add elements to make it more effective:

An office doesn’t necessarily have to be just plain walls and a roof. Contact an office furniture manufacturer to add creative modular office furniture to brighten up the workspace. Also, adding fresh plants and adequate lighting will keep your employees active and rejuvenated.

If you are not currently operating in an open-plan office space, it is time you seriously consider the idea in order to enhance the productivity of your employees and, in turn, your organization.

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